Cedric Galette (Photo courtesy the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office)
A Philadelphia man has been sentenced to state prison for causing a fatal crash while driving under the influence of PCP in Cheltenham Township.
Cedric M. Galette, 48, of Ashmead Street, received a sentence of 6 to 15 years in state prison after pleading guilty to homicide by vehicle while DUI and related charges. The plea deal was accepted by Montgomery County Judge William R. Carpenter just before jury selection for Galette’s trial was set to begin.
The crash happened around 10 p.m. on Sept. 18, 2024, at the intersection of North 5th Street and Cheltenham Avenue. Prosecutors said Galette sped through a red light at more than 60 mph with his headlights off, colliding with a Cadillac SUV driven by 28-year-old Troy Rivera. Rivera was legally driving through the intersection on a green light.
The violent crash pushed Rivera’s vehicle into utility poles, leaving him critically injured. He died 10 days later.
Investigators found Galette in possession of multiple jars containing PCP. Toxicology reports confirmed the drug in his system at the time of the crash.
Assistant District Attorney Gwendolyn Marie Kull prosecuted the case, while Galette was represented by defense lawyer Cary Bartlow Hall.
